MovieChat Forums > Sleepless in Seattle (1993) Discussion > uhmm.. where was the climax?

uhmm.. where was the climax?

posted 14 years ago by jannispetersen
12 replies | jump to latest

First of, don't get me wrong, I liked this movie.

But I really wonder, why the director didn't go by the rules and built in a climax. This movie was like watching a gold-fish swimming in a glass: it is fun to watch, but it never changes pace and it will never do anything to surprise you.

Some people say: But it's about the films' message!

My answer to this will be: I can read the same message on a valentine's greeting card, and that doesn't take ninety minutes. A film normally should change its pace throughout the story, built up a climax, hopefully surprise us, and then slowly pace out. Even most B-movies with bad actors can manage to do this. Good actors and a supreme message just isn't enough to make it a stand-out, if you ask me.

It's watchable, but nothing special.

[–] sharkbalt 14 years ago

the climax is built up to the moment anne and sam meet on the empire state building. Sorry that wasn't big enough for you.

[–] holywible 14 years ago

whats the message?theres a special stalker out there for everyone?lol i had never seen this movie until a couple days ago and i thought it was a little weird annie was hiding around the corner watching sam play with his son...kinda creepy lol she should be dating norm from something about mary...

[–] Nickolai_Volkov 14 years ago

Sorry this is a little late, holywible, but you HAVE to see this:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=frUPnZMxr08

Last 2 Movies Seen:

Halloween 4: 6/10
Halloween 5: 3/10

[–] nutsberryfarm 13 years ago

'round midnight?

We're not soldiers and he's not the enemy. He's a pizza man.

[–] matthiasspillemaeckers 14 years ago

I suppose that the film's climax is when the two lonely souls finally meet on the top floor of the Empire State Building. However, the coincidental and unlikely events presented throughout the story, emphasizes that there is some unstoppable force called 'faith' at work.

In my opinion, SiS is more about the overall wonderful (and really romantic) atmosphere. Therefore, the absence of an epic hilarious or exciting climax didn't bother me at all. The message is of course not very original, but I think the story presented it in an original way.

Although you bring up valid arguments, I think the appreciation of this film also highly depends on the mood you're in. For instance, it's great to watch it around Christmas or with your partner and/or loved ones close to you.

[–] SVU14_1 13 years ago

From watching this movie a few times I think the climax could be one of these moments:

* Annie's decision to go to Seattle and her brief run in with Sam
* Jonah's decision to go to New York to find Annie.

Both of those moments can be seen as a turning point in the movie. Prior to Annie and Sam's first encounter the two characters did not know each other (well Annie knew more about Sam than Sam knew about her).

Jonah going to NY forces Sam to go out there as well, where Annie is. It sets up the whole Empire State Building meeting scene.

[–] 13 years ago

[deleted]

[–] tmonty82 12 years ago

I thought the climax was when he reached out and touched her hand for the first time.

During the initial call with Dr. Marcia, he mentioned that he knew his first wife (Maggie) was "the one" the very first time he touched her hand (I think he said he was just helping her out of a car, nothing special). So I assumed the hand-holding scene at the very end was the climax.

[–] jane_bront 8 years ago

^This. The climax is when Sam holds Annie's hand and then he knows she's going to be his second great love. I do wish they had talked to each other more in the end scene though.

[–] LocoHero 12 years ago

Yeah and what's the deal in Romeo and Juliet when they both die at the end. How is that a fitting finale?

And the end of Jaws, all they do is swim to shore. Pathetic!

And The Third Man - she walks past him, and that's it - WTF?!?!

I expect more from my films.

Jog on

[–] 12 years ago

[deleted]

[–] jporter-6 10 years ago

The entire movie is about the pursuit of a woman to meet a man who was introduced to her by the story of a little boy who misses his mom, and doesn't want his dad to be devastated and sad, which Sam obviously is.

So Sam's wish--his goal--is for comfort. He finds it momentarily in his wife's visionary appearance, but the comfort doesn't last. So he decides that his real goal is simply to find a woman. A shallow relationship ("I'm gonna get laid") is what Sam decides is the best alternative for him, turning off his real goal and real feelings of finding comfort.

Annie's movie-long pursuit goes from a funny campaign to at least find Sam, then perhaps meet him, to one of desperation in the last few moments of the movie--she is sitting in a restaurant drinking champagne with her fiancé, and she rushes off to SEE if Sam just might be at the top of the building. The struggle in the past few minutes is a nail-biter. First, she can't get a cab. Then she arrives at the Empire State Building just after the tours to the top are finished for the day. So the question in the last few minutes is "will she get to meet him or not?"

Jonah again is the catalyst. He arrives at the top only to see she is not there. As far as Jonah knows, his Dad doesn't know where he is or where to find him. He has no more money to speak of, and he presumably doesn't know anyone in New York City.

But Sam does find him, and they leave. Annie arrives to discover, much to her sadness, that Sam is not there. (She knows nothing of Jonah's effort to get her and Sam together at this point.) But she does discover Jonah's backpack with his teddy bear.

Sam and Jonah return to get his Teddy bear from Annie. Their meeting is the climactic moment of the achievement of Annie's, Sam's and Jonah's goals. And both Annie and Sam know it, but they are not yet aware of how much heaven and earth Jonah has had to move to make this all happen.